Climate Action Stokesley and Villages

CASaV Update – June 2023

Hope you enjoy reading our latest update, including details of our next meeting at 8pm which is preceded by Yorkshire Seal Group at 7pm on Tuesday 20th June.

Welcome to June’s Update including the Great Big Green Week

June sees the arrival of the Great Big Green Week, the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature organised by the Climate Coalition . Launched in 2021 with diverse partners including World Wildlife Fund, FairTrade Foundation, the National Trust and Surfers Against Sewage the week is an opportunity to engage and inform about climate action and protecting nature with wide ranging national and local events. Local events are highlighted below but there are national activities you can take part in, information here: https://greatbiggreenweek.com/

What’s Going On – news and events

Environmental talk and monthly meeting – Tuesday June 20th 7-9pm

This month’s whole group CASaV meeting will be on Tuesday 20th June at The Globe Community Library, North Road, Stokesley. At 7pm there will be an interactive talk from Sally Bunce, marine veterinary nurse with the Yorkshire Seal Group (https://yorkshireseals.org/)

Sally will use our native seals as a ‘feature creature’ to deliver an understanding of how our lifestyle choices impact our planet and the creatures we share it with, showing us how to identify different seal species, how an unwell poorly and a healthy seal appear and how to respond if they need help. You will also learn about our local marine environment and some of its current challenges.

This will be followed by our usual whole group meeting 8 – 9pm.
All are welcome – spread the word!

Great Big Green Week – our local CASaV events

There will be a number of CASAV events for Great Big Green Week organised by our different subgroups including Nature / Environment, Food and Waste as well as other organisations – more info here: https://climateactionstokesleyandvillages.org/events-2/great-big-green-week-2023/

Saturday June 10th 10-12 Repair Cafe & Upcycling Competition, Stokesley

During Great Big Green Week there will be one of our monthly Repair Cafes, this month at the Globe Community Library in Stokesley 10-12. Bring along your household items in need of repair – electrical goods, computers & mobile phones, bikes & toys, clothing & textiles, ceramics & crockery, furniture & wooden items – and learn repair skills whilst one of our pink T-shirted volunteers restores your item to working order (or gives advice if we can’t). With refreshments, all for free but donations to cover costs welcome.

At the Repair Cafe there will also be an opportunity to enter our Upcycling Poster Competition, closing date 24th June which is National Upcycling Day. All ages from 7 to 107 are invited to design an upcycling idea on A4 size paper showing how any article, which otherwise might go to waste, could be transformed into something new that could be useful or fun! Paper, pens, collage materials etc will be available on the day and you can post your entry into the special ‘Upcycling Postbox’ at the Globe, Stokesley. More information here:

Upcycling Poster Competition – GBGW – 2023

Organised by CASaV

Saturday 10th June – gardening for wildlife in Stokesley 2pm and 7:30pm

There will be two sessions over the course of the day. 2pm – 4pm and 7.30pm – 9.30pm and the evening session will include using a bat detector!

There will be a limited number of places (15 max) and must be booked in advance, details below. The address of the venue will be provided to those that book.

Refreshments will be provided.

Booking by email bridgetholmstrom@hotmail.com or call 07795 463202 or contact via our website https://climateactionstokesleyandvillages.org/contact/

Organised by CASaV.

Sunday 11th June 2pm – identifying wildflowers in Great Ayton

Organised jointly by CASaV and Brighten Up Great Ayton.

Sunday 11th June 4.30pm – wildflower walk at Cod Beck

Join Helen Herring, local expert botanist, for a wildflower walk around Cod Beck Reservoir. Meet in the main car park at 4.30pm, approximately 2 hours

Organised by CASaV.

Wednesday 14th June 10am – wildflower walk, Ingelby Greenhow

Meet at 10am Bank Foot, Ingelby Greenhow for a walk guided by local expert botanist Anne Press.

Organised by CASaV

Wednesday 14th June 11am – 1pm North Yorkshire Rotters, Great Ayton

Join the composting experts, the North Yorkshire Rotters, the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton for inspiration and advice on saving food and garden waste and fertilising your garden for free from 11am – 1pm.

Saturday June 17th 9am – 4pm Discover the Art of Scything, Faceby

If things have got a bit out of hand during No Mow May, now may be the time to learn the graceful and eco-friendly art of scything. You can acquire this ancient skill and reconnect with nature like never before on this one-day Scything Course on June 17th in the charming village of Faceby, nestled under the majestic Cleveland Hills.

The course runs on Saturday, 17th June 9-4 with exact address provided when you apply for a place. Expert Instruction is provided by John Grundy, an experienced scything instructor who will guide you through the fundamentals, teaching you the proper techniques and best practices to master this traditional method of grass cutting. Whether you’re a complete beginner or have some experience, this course is designed to suit all skill levels.

Limited scythes will be available to borrow on the day or you may want to buy a scythe before you attend the course. John sells them directly from his website www.wildernesstamed.com/store

For more information and to book a place go to

Sunday 18th June Keep the lights shining – Whitby Esk Energy tours for families, Ruswarp various times 1 – 3.45pm

Tours at 1-1:45pm, 2-2.45pm and 3-3.45pm

Can you get the water flowing to keep the lights shining?

Energy related activities for all the family to take part in whilst you visit our community-owned 50kW Archimedes screw hydroelectric turbine on the River Esk at Ruswarp.

More information here: https://whitbyeskenergy.org.uk/keep-the-lights-shining-whitby-esk-energy-tours-for-families/

This event is not only part of the Great Big Green Week but also part of Community Energy Fortnight more info here: https://www.communityenergyengland.org/pages/community-energy-fortnight

Saturday 10th – Sunday 18th Environment At Risk & Sustainable Food Displays, the Globe Community Library, Stokesley

All through Great Big Green Week there will be displays on our environment at risk from climate change as well as a display of vegan cookery books and sustainable eating at the Globe, Stokesley.

Read all about it!

CASaV produces a monthly Climate Column for the Darlington and Stockton Times. Since starting the column over a year ago, it has been interesting to see the increase in letters and debate about environmental issues, climate change and climate action in particular.

At our last monthly CASaV meeting we heard about the issues of phosphates (found in many household cleaning products) in the River Leven and this was also the focus of our latest Climate Column ‘How we can all clean up our rivers’, printed in the Darlington and Stockton Times on Friday 12th May: https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/opinion/comment/23504161.climate-column-can-help-clean-rivers/

More information on the impact of phosphates on rivers and where to find low phosphate and phosphate free cleaning products here: https://www.riverkennet.org/advice/fewerphosphates

Community Earth Festival Esk Valley & East Cleveland 22nd April – 8th July

This grassroots festival started last month and continues until 8th July with a wide range of accessible events aiming to challenge people to look again at our relationship to the natural world. Events include practical workshops, nature recovery projects, creative performances, guided walks, talks and discussions.

As part of the festival closing event at Botton Village on 8th July, alongside a range of speakers, Simon & Kate Gibbon from CASaV will be giving a short talk on ‘Rethinking Waste’.

Full programme of events available here: https://www.eskvalleynews.co.uk/cef-programme

Sustainable consumer section

The most sustainable consumerism is to just buy less but…

Summer holidays with less environmental impact

Fighting climate change means changing how we do things. And one of the biggest things we can do is fly less. Or not at all. There’s so much adventure to be had right on our doorstep.

Train travel, walking, wheeling or biking your holiday gives you time to take in the true joy of travel – to stop and see the world with fresh eyes.

As summer holidays approach, Possible (https://www.wearepossible.org/) highlights share some resources to help inspire your flight-free travels:

Former Possible staff member, Sarah, is so dedicated to flight-free travel that she set up a YouTube and TikTok channel all about it. Here’s her top 10 destinations in Europe.
Any question you can think of about train travel is more than likely answered by The Man in Seat 61. This website has a vast range of information on traveling the world by train. From getting ideas of where to go to planning the minute details of your trip, this has it all.
Our friends over at flightfreetravel.co.uk have a brilliant podcast where they bring an array of guests to talk about their flight free travel experiences. From the woman who used the £2 bus scheme to get from London to Edinburgh to the sports stars challenging the idea of flying for competition, it’s a fascinating listen (perfect for long journeys).
If you’re looking for a holiday company to plan and book your trip for you, I’d recommend Byway and Ecosy. Both have tonnes of flight-free holidays to choose from, and loads of advice and support for creating your perfect holiday.

Repairable and ethical headphones

The company that developed the Fairphone, the world’s most ethical and sustainably produced mobile phone, has now developed the world’s first headphones created with 100% fairtrade gold and have been designed to minimise the impact on the climate by avoiding and reducing carbon emissions where possible, as well as contributing to climate projects. Components include parts made from 100% recycled aluminium and 80% recycled plastic.

The Co-op is sufficiently impressed with the credentials of these that they are stocking them in larger stores and online.

Updates from the groups

Transport

Let’s Talk Transport

North Yorkshire Council are asking people living, working, and travelling in North Yorkshire to share information about how they travel and the issues that they face. You can fill in an online survey here Have Your Say Today – Let’s Talk Transport Survey

https://letstalkny.commonplace.is/en-GB/proposals/transport/step1

This follows on from the feedback in last year’s consultations where people said public transport is a priority. The Local Transport Plan sets out the strategic transport aims for the region over the next few years. It will allow the council to continue to bid for funding to deliver the infrastructure we need to better connect residents, unlock economic growth, and promote sustainability. The survey closes on 17 July 2023.

Puffin pilgrimage – car free travel reflection from Caryn Loftus

The last time Mike and I tried to see the puffins at Bempton Cliffs we drove in brilliant sunshine until we were nearly there and then were met with thick fog. We only got a glimpse of a few puffins as they rose up out of the gloom. This year we decided to see if we could get there by public transport to make more of the journey and have a short break in Filey. Trains and buses became a moving hide from which to observe birds and other wildlife enroute. From Great Ayton we went by train to Whitby, then took advantage of the £2 bus fares to catch one of the frequent buses to Scarborough and then onwards to Filey by train. The following day, it was only a few stops on the Yorkshire Coast Line to Bempton followed by a short walk to the RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/bempton-cliffs/.

The journey took us across moorland, through woodland, along riversides, past fields and to the coast. By the time we got home we had seen 47 different species of birds, which we’re we wouldn’t have seen from the car. What about the puffins you ask – well they certainly weren’t the highlight as we only saw a few clinging to the cliffs. Maybe we were too early in the season or it was a symptom of the puffin’s red listed status. The highlight was the amazing sight of the gannets and other seabirds flying around the cliffs but unfortunately due to avian flu their numbers are plummeting as well. Visit the UK’s biggest mainland breeding colony of gannets at Bempton whilst it is still a show stopper.

Food – monthly zoom meetings, please contact if you would like to join

Benefits of Slow Cookers & Beanbag Cookery

The Food Group has been discussing the wide range of benefits of using slow cookers which use less energy than conventional cooking so not only reduce the impact of energy production on the climate but also save people money. There has been a successful project demonstrating the use of slow cookers in Hull which has helped people avoid having to use food banks.

Some more information here: https://www.foodforfitness.co.uk/slow-cooker-benefits/

There has also been discussion on the use of slow ‘beanbag’ cookery where energy is saved by initially heating the pot by conventional means then continuing the cooking by insulating the pot either by using a specially designed ‘beanbag’ or using old duvets or even a haybox, info here: https://guides.brit.co/guides/create-and-use-the-bean-bag-haybox

FoodCycle

FoodCycle is a national organisation with a vision is to make food poverty, loneliness and food waste a thing of the past for every community. With community dining, week in, week out they feed the hungry and give company to the lonely in communities across the UK; providing delicious meals and great conversation, and using food which would otherwise go to waste.

You can find out more and get involved here: https://foodcycle.org.uk/

‘Cafe Climate’ – a potential CASaV project?

Members of the Food Group are also considering a potential local project inspired by the Hull Slow Cookery project and FoodCycle. Our ideas so far are to offer a ‘pay what you can afford’ community lunch every two months, prepared by different community groups – churches, schools, local businesses – with each lunch around a theme such as slow cookery, ‘Ready steady Cook’ from surplus food, zero miles food, perhaps guided by local chefs with an emphasis on how eating sustainably can fight climate change. If you are interested in developing this idea please get in touch (contact details at end of this full update).

Choose your own salad leaves

Barbara Beveridge at Battersby Junction provides wonderful organic local veg boxes. She would welcome anyone who would like to volunteer to support her on her small holding at Battersby Junction.

Currently Barbara is offering ‘chose your own’ salad leaves at the Stokesley Farmers and Makers Markets. Bring your own container and get wonderful fresh salad without a plastic container.

For more information email barbara at barbarabeveridge118@gmail.com

Co-op Foodshare

Did you know that every evening every week surplus food (which would otherwise go to waste) is collected from our local Co-op stores in Stokesley and Great Ayton and distributed to local charities and groups for those most in need?

Jenny Earle from the Food Group organises this fantastic work and a rota of volunteers collect and distribute the food.

More volunteers to collect and distribute the surplus food are needed, even if you can only volunteer occasionally this is very useful for back up cover if one of the regular volunteers is unable to collect the food at short notice. Email us if you can spare an hour every now and then.

Nature / Environment – monthly zoom meetings, please contact if you would like to join

The Nature / Environment group have been busy this month preparing events and displays for the Great Big Green Week, highlighted above.

Let it bloom June

No Mow May locally appears to have been a great success with many areas in our local villages – both council managed and privately owned – being left unmown with a huge increase in diversity of plant species and invertebrate life. Surveys are ongoing locally to capture this data.

Plantlife, the organisation which promotes No Mow May has suggestions for continuing this diversity and for sustainably managing vegetation to provide a vital sanctuary for wildlife during hot summers and cold winters. (https://www.plantlife.org.uk/let-it-bloom-june-no-mow-may-is-over-whats-next/)

Waste – monthly zoom meetings, please contact if you would like to join

Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafes

Our latest Repair Cafe on 20th May was particularly memorable – have a look here (film courtesy of Joy Smith) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBCxmqqu1tA,

We had some outstanding, never-before repairs! These included:

The three legged horse – at a previous Repair Cafe one visitor brought along a real conundrum, a china horse with one leg missing. Our ceramics expert Mike Foster rose to the challenge and actually crafted a whole new leg from epoxy resin which was indistinguishable from the other three legs. Mike reunited the now much more ‘stable’ horse with his delighted owner at May’s cafe. No rest for magic Mike though, he tackled another ‘leggy problem for another visitor who brought along a three legged china dog!

The seatless chair – again, at a previous Repair Cafe another visitor brought cane woven seated chair where the caning had completely collapsed. Sewing supremo Katy Parkinson revealed a secret talent for expert caning and completely and beautifully restored the chair which was reunited with its delighted owner at May’s cafe.

The crotchless wedding trousers – whilst the Repair Cafe was in full swing there was a wedding about to start just across the beck. One of the groomsmen discovered that the crotch had split in his smart suit trousers but one of the wedding party had heard about the Repair Cafe and quickly sent him in our direction. Sewing goddess Lorna Kessel didn’t bat an eyelid as she restored the gentleman’s wedding finery to full working order and he got back to the church on time!

As always, a great big green thank you to all of you who continue to make our Repair Cafes such a success – repair experts, reception and refreshment volunteers and of course all of you who bring along your household items in need of repair.

Our next two Repair Cafes take place on Saturday 10th June Stokesley Globe Community Library 10-12 as part of the Great Big Green Week and then 15th July at Swainby Village Hall 10-12.

This now monthly event alternates between Swainby and Stokesley and continues to be well attended with 100s of household items repaired / returned to functional use which might have otherwise gone to waste in landfill or incineration, saving the owners the cost of buying replacements as well as reducing the environmental impact of using up resources and the energy in manufacturing.

Remember, bring your household items in need of repair e.g. electrical appliances, mechanical equipment, furniture, clothing, crockery, laptops, smartphones, etc – to the Repair Cafe and extend the life of your items, learn repair skills, prevent landfill waste and help fight climate change!

We are always on the lookout for more volunteers so please get in touch if you are interested or want more information.

Further details here on our website.

Upcycling Day Challenge 24th June

To mark Global Upcycling Day on June 24th Anne Mannix has organised an ‘Upcycling Challenge’ competition for individuals and groups to design the most inventive way of repurposing items and materials into something useful which would have otherwise gone to recycling or to waste. There are a number of categories, including most imaginative and most practical across different age ranges and the winners will receive prizes!

Recycling is the process of destroying waste and repurposing it to make something new from it, e.g. scrap metal is melted, processed, and then used to make a new item which is useful but still requires energy which contributes to climate change. Upcycling is more climate friendly in that it uses waste in its current state to create something new, such as a flower vase made from an empty bottle of wine. The benefit of upcycling is that you can give a raw material a second life without spending a lot of money on recycling, and you can also meet a current need with what you make.

Closing date 24th June!

Refill Day 16th June – reducing use of single use plastics

16th June is World Refill Day https://www.refill.org.uk/world-refill-day/ so a good time to remind you about how you can reduce single use plastics locally using the Refill App.

The Refill App (https://www.refill.org.uk/) allows you tap into a global network of places to reduce, reuse and refill containers for drinks, food and household cleaning substances as well as getting free tap water for your reusable bottle. Anne Mannix and other CASAV members have been out and about encouraging local businesses to sign up to the refill scheme and appear on the app and there are now almost 20 locations where you can refill your own containers, saving packaging and costs.

If you know any local businesses which would like to join the scheme, please get in touch.

Energy

Community Energy Fortnight 10-23rd June

Community Energy Fortnight (CEF) is a nationwide campaign reaching thousands of people and involving hundreds of organisations and it is a great opportunity to show what community energy is all about. It will also focus on skill-sharing within the sector.

https://communityenergyengland.org/pages/community-energy-fortnight

Notice of our CASaV AGM – Tuesday 18th July, 7:30pm

We will be holding our AGM in The Globe Community Library, Stokesley on Tuesday 18th July, starting at 7:30pm. So that our membership year matches our financial year, all those who paid their £1 membership fee from February 2022 until 30th June 2023 will be entitled to vote at the AGM. The membership year will then run from 1st July until 30th June of the following year.
The focus for our AGM this year will be exploring baseline data to help measure the impact of our activity and identify future activity.

Signing off

If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s update please email Kate at kategibbon@googlemail.com by the end of June.

Kate will also be helping promote activities via Facebook and Instagram so let her know if there is anything that you would like shared via our Facebook group or Instagram page if you are not a Facebook / Instagram user.

Hope to see you at the CASaV whole group monthly meeting on Tuesday 20th June following the marine life talk.

Kate Gibbon,

on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:

Bridget Holmstrom, Caryn Loftus, Jack Turton, Ron Kirk and Simon Gibbon

Upcycling Poster Competition – GBGW – 2023

As part of our ongoing campaign to raise awareness of climate change we are running an upcycling poster competition. This is open to individuals or groups from 7 years upwards to 14+ years. We have timed it so that the closing date coincides with National Upcycling Day on June 24^th.

There is a short slide show to explain what we mean by upcycling and what we are looking for in the posters – web page or pdf download. It could be used as a homework or adapted as a lesson in a range of subjects; Geography, Citizenship, Science, Design and Technology, to name a few, or as a group activity in Cubs and Brownies, Guides and Scouts or Sunday School.

Follow CASAV on Facebook to get regular update about the competition and to learn about the winners.

If you are a school or organisation please feel free to email me aemannix@aol.com to collect your entries OR deliver them yourselves to the collection box in the Globe library We are excited to see what people come up with and there will be environmental prizes.

CASaV Update – May 2023

Hope you enjoy reading our latest update, including details of our next meeting at 7.30pm on Tuesday 16th May.

Welcome to May’s Update – Spring has Sprung!

Spring has well and truly sprung with the new season’s natural delights all around us. As always we bring you local and national climate action news, events and activities including ideas for growing your own for sustainable eating and the range of CASaV and other local events for the Great Big Green week in June.

What’s Going On – general news and events

Monthly meeting

This month’s whole group CASaV meeting will be on Tuesday 16th May at The Globe Community Library, North Road, Stokesley 7.30 – 9pm. CASaV are members of the River Leven Catchment group working on cleaning the River Leven. Come and find out more about this work and our other activities including plans for Great Big Green Week in June.All are welcome – spread the word!

At our last meeting in April we had an informative presentation ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ from Charles Everson of North Yorkshire Rotters – https://climateactionstokesleyandvillages.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/north-yorkshire-rotters-presentation-180423.pdf.

Read all about it!

CASaV produces a monthly climate action column for the Darlington and Stockton Times, April’s focussed on reducing food waste. This month, edition published Friday 11th May, the focus is on the issue of phosphates in the River Leven, linking with our work with the River Leven Catchment Group.

No Mow May

No Mow May is Plantlife’s annual campaign calling all garden owners and green space managers not to mow during May – liberating your lawns and providing a space for nature.

We’ve lost nearly 97% of flower rich meadows since the 1970’s and with them gone are vital food needed by pollinators, like bees and butterflies.

A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground – and best of all, to reap these benefits all you have to do is not mow your lawn in May!

With over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of our land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate. This is why Plantlife is calling for people to get involved with #NoMowMay and let wild plants get a head start on the summer.

More info here: https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/#

Locally, on behalf of CASaV, Bridget Holstrom who chairs the Nature / Environment group made requests to Stokesley Town Council for four areas under their responsibility to remain uncut to increase biodiversity and provide food for vital pollinators. This was agreed by the council and a survey will be carried out to record any change to the biodiversity.

Great Big Green Week is coming – 10-18th June!

The Great Big Green Week is a yearly event across the country to celebrate community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. More information here: https://greatbiggreenweek.com/

There will be a number of CASAV events for Great Big Green Week organised by our different subgroups including Nature / Environment, Food and Waste as well as other organisations – more info here:

Great Big Green Week 2023

Keep the lights shining – Whitby Esk Energy tours for families 18th June

Sunday 18th June

Tours at 1-1:45pm, 2-2.45pm and 3-3.45pm

Can you get the water flowing to keep the lights shining?

Energy related activities for all the family to take part in whilst you visit our community-owned 50kW Archimedes screw hydroelectric turbine on the River Esk at Ruswarp.

More information here: https://whitbyeskenergy.org.uk/keep-the-lights-shining-whitby-esk-energy-tours-for-families/

This event is not only part of the Great Big Green Week but also part of Community Energy Fortnight more info here: https://www.communityenergyengland.org/pages/community-energy-fortnight

Community Earth Festival Esk Valley & East Cleveland 22nd April – 8th July

Get out and about for less (and sustainably!) until the end of June 2023

Compared with driving alone, taking public transportation reduces CO2 emissions by 45%, decreasing pollutants in the atmosphere and improving air quality. Across the country, bus companies have many fares capped at £2 maximum no matter how long the journey until the end of June 2023. For example you can travel Britain’s most scenic bus journey (in a 2018 survey) from York to Whitby across the glorious North Yorkshire moors on the Coastliner bus, more info here https://www.transdevbus.co.uk/coastliner/.

Other inspiration here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-scenic-prettiest-bus-journeys-in-england-qx99j96vt

Updates from the groups

Energy

United Nations launch two new initiatives towards achieving clean, affordable energy for all

Heartening global news! The UN-Energy partnership brings together some 30 organizations working on all aspects of energy and sustainable development. The UN-Energy Plan of Action Towards 2025 delivers on commitments made at a high-level meeting in September that laid out a global roadmap for energy access and transition by the end of the decade, while also contributing to net zero emissions by 2050.

An Energy Compact Action Network was also launched to match governments seeking support for their clean energy goals with governments and businesses that have already pledged over $600 billion in assistance.

Coalitions to support energy access and transition in Nigeria and in Santiago, Chile, were also announced, thus showcasing the Network’s potential.

More info here: https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/05/1117532

Clouds on the horizon for Green Energy in the UK

Sadly, clean electricity plans in the UK may be stuck for years because of ‘negligence’ by governments over modernising network, say renewable energy developers.

Windfarms, solar arrays and battery projects are stuck in gridlock for up to 15 years as the UK’s electricity grid struggles to keep pace with the appetite for more clean energy – including a car factory being forced to wait until 2037.

The delays threaten to undermine decades of work to attract the investment needed to support the UK’s clean energy ambitions, and risks derailing Britain’s progress towards legally binding climate targets.

Earlier this week, MPs on the Commons environmental audit committee opened an inquiry into how to ease the backlog of solar projects waiting to connect to the grid that “could seriously jeopardise net zero Britain”.

More info here: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/08/uk-green-energy-projects-in-limbo-as-grid-struggles-to-keep-pace

A good time to write to our MP to encourage action on this?

Food

Growing your own in May in allotments, gardens, windowsills and counter tops

One of the most sustainable actions you can take to fight climate change is to grow more of your own food and May is a great month to work on this.

The RHS has monthly ideas and guidance for growing vegetables and fruit in your own garden, no matter how small. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/in-month/may

We appreciate that not everyone has a garden or access to an allotment but windowsills can still provide a harvest of fresh food. Ideas here: https://www.theenglishgarden.co.uk/expert-advice/gardeners-tips/windowsill-veg-plot/

Window sills full? Sprouting seeds and beans on your kitchen top is a great way to quickly get nutritious and sustainable food. Ideas here: https://www.thrive.org.uk/get-gardening/sprouting-seeds

Great Big Green Week recipe display

The Food Group are planning to a display of recipe books to encourage people to eat more sustainably at CASAV events during the Great Big Green Week.

Local organic veg boxes

Barbara Beveridge at Battersby Junction provides wonderful organic local veg boxes. She would welcome anyone who would like to volunteer to support her on her small holding at Battersby Junction. Wendy from the Food Group spend an enjoyable few hours with her recently. For more information email barbara at barbarabeveridge118@gmail.com

Co-op Foodshare

Jenny Earle from the Food Group organises this fantastic work and a rota of volunteers collect and distribute the food.

One of the many organisations that receive and make good use of this surplus food is Nite Light CIC who made good use of the surplus food for their recent coronation lunch party. Nite Light is based in Middlesbrough preventing vulnerable people from going hungry. They have a number of activities including a free food market stall and ‘pay it forward’ schemes linking in with local businesses. More info here: https://nitelightcic.co.uk/

Yatton House Community Garden

Are you a Co-op member? If you are, remember you can still help fund the community garden that CASaV are helping develop with Yatton House, Brighten Up Great Ayton group and local Rotary groups. You can find out more and choose this local cause to support. If you are interested in joining a working party in the garden email Caryn [mailto:carynloftus@gmail.com].

Nature / Environment

No Mow May success

Chair of the Nature / Environment group Bridget Holstrom made a request to Stokesley Town Council for four areas that they are responsible for the upkeep of to be left unmown to provide nutrition for vital pollinators and also to enable a wider range of plants to establish and set seed. This was accepted by the council so look out for wider biodiversity in Stokesley!

Lots of interesting and inspiring events for Great Big Green Week and beyond

1. Biodiversity Event: Gardening for Wildlife 10th June

There will be two sessions over the course of the day. 2pm – 4pm and 7.30pm – 9.30pm and the evening session will include using a bat detector!

There will be a limited number of places (15 max) and must be booked in advance, details to follow. The address of the venue will be provided those that book.

Refreshments will be provided.

2. Nature Under Threat & How to Help Display at the Globe, Stokesley 10-18th June

There will be a display all week 10-18th June at the Globe Community Library on the current threats to nature locally and globally, the reasons for this and what we can do about as individuals.

Additional displays are being considered for the Hub at Hutton Rudby and at the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton.

3. Wild flower walk around Cod Beck Sunday 11th June

Meet at Cod Beck car park at 4pm for a 1-2 hour walk led by botany expert Helen Herring.

Further walks and explorations of nature are planned this summer e.g. a walk around Bank Foot, Ingelby Greenhow led by Anne Press and a bird watching event.

Transport

20s Plenty for Stokesley – survey results

20’s plenty is the national scheme backed by United Nations, aiming to introduce 20mph as the norm wherever people and vehicles meet.

The local subgroup ’20’s Plenty for Stokesley’ recently carried out a survey and these results were published in The Loop:

A total of 264 completed the survey

250 agree with a new 20mph limit through Stokesley
14 disagree (comments suggest agreement in part by most of the 14 signatories)
1 person agreed and disagreed
Over 70 comments were offered

Many signatories agree that numerous villages in the area should have a 20mph speed limit considered too.

You can contact the group here: Stokesley@20splentyforus.org.uk

Locally the 20s Plenty for North Yorkshire has been campaigning to encourage local councils to introduce maximum 20 mph zones in the centre of towns and villages and in particular where pedestrians are most vulnerable e.g. outside schools and where there is a high footfall. At these lower speeds not only can road deaths and injuries be substantially reduced but also climate changing exhaust gases can be lessened. Currently 141 town/parish councils in North Yorkshire support 20’s Plenty.

20’s Plenty North Yorkshire groups aim for North Yorkshire County Council to budget for new 20mph signage all around our county. If you agree with this idea please complete and share the petition.

Sign here : https://us11.list-manage.com/survey?u=7fbc10142193f88b5449266f7&id=b0a4ff73aa&e=5ef9639452

Waste

Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafes

A big thank you to all of you who continue to make our Repair Cafes such a success – repair experts, reception and refreshment volunteers and of course all of you who bring along your household items in need of repair.

Our next two Repair Cafes take place on Saturday 20th May at Swainby Village Hall 10-12 and following that on Saturday 10th June in the in the Stokesley Globe Community Library 10-12 as part of the Great Big Green Week to which we have sent a tentative invite to our local MP!

We are always on the lookout for more volunteers so please get in touch if you are interested or want more information.

Further details here on our website.

Upcycling Day Challenge 24th June

To mark Global Upcycling Day on June 24th Anne Mannix is preparing an ‘Upcycling Challenge’ competition for individuals and groups to design the most inventive way of repurposing items and materials into something useful which would have otherwise gone to recycling or to waste. There will be a number of categories, including most imaginative and most practical across different age ranges and the winners will receive prizes!

The Upcycling Challenge will be launched this month, so look out for updates. If you have any ideas or a group who would like to take part please contact us by email.

Refill – reducing use of single use plastics

If you know any local businesses which would like to join the scheme, please get in touch.

Signing off

If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on this monthly update please email Kate kategibbon@googlemail.com by the end of May.

Hope to see you at the CASAV whole group monthly meeting on Tuesday 16th May

Kate Gibbon,

on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:

Bridget Holmstrom, Caryn Loftus, Jack Turton, Ron Kirk and Simon Gibbon

Love Food Hate Waste presentation

Many thanks to Charles Everson, from North Yorkshire Rotters, for his informative presentation at the start of our April meeting.

CASaV group meeting – Tuesday 16th May

Our next meeting is on Tuesday 16th May, in The Globe Community Library, North Road, Stokesley from 7:30 – 9:00pm.

CASaV are members of the River Leven Catchment group working on cleaning the River Leven. Come and find out more about this work and our other activities including plans for Great Big Green Week in June.

CASaV Update – April 2023

Hope you enjoy reading our latest update, including details of our next meeting on Tuesday 18th April.

Happy Eastertide and welcome to April’s Update

Hoping you all had a good Easter break! This month we bring you local and national climate action news, events and activities including looking ahead to CASAV events for the Great Big Green week in June,

What’s Going On – general news and events

Monthly meeting

This month’s whole group CASAV meeting will be on Tuesday 18th April at The Globe Community Library, North Road, Stokesley 8-9pm following a special presentation ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ from the Yorkshire Rotters from 7-8pm to which all the public are invited so please spread the word!

The Yorkshire Rotters will be discussing and demonstrating how to prevent food waste including home composting. The monthly CASAV meeting which follows will focus on group developments and coming events and how you can be involved. We will be looking at our events to celebrate Great Big Green Week among other issues.

Darlington & Stockton Times Monthly Climate Column

Don’t forget to check out our monthly climate column in the Darlington & Stockton Times! A link to March’s column can be found on the CASAV website here: https://climateactionstokesleyandvillages.org/2023/03/22/climate-column-march-2023/

Great Big Green Week – 10-18th June – coming soon!

The Great Big Green Week is a yearly event across the country to celebrate community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. More information here: https://greatbiggreenweek.com/

There will be a number of CASAV events for Great Big Green Week organised by our different subgroups including Nature / Environment, Food and Waste – see details below and on the updated calendar of events page – CASaV Great Big Green Week 2023.

If you are planning anything or know of any other events in the area please get in touch.

Great Big Green Week 2023

Community Earth Festival Esk Valley & East Cleveland 22nd April – 8th July

A grassroots festival spread over ten weeks aiming to challenge people to look again at our relationship to the natural world. Events include practical workshops, nature recovery projects, creative performances, guided walks, talks and discussions. Full programme of events available here: https://www.eskvalleynews.co.uk/cef-programme

Thirsk World Earth Day Saturday 22nd April

Head on over to Thirsk to celebrate World Earth Day on Saturday 22nd April. In the Town Hall 10.00 – 1.00 there will be opportunities to meet the local and global groups working to protect our environment. As well as displays, exhibitions and local produce for sale, there will be presentations and talks throughout the morning including:

Local Beekeeping Association

Co-operative movement

Country markets

Cycling

Campaign for the Protection of Rural England

Deer Shed Festival

FairTrade

Friends of the Earth

Hambleton Strollers

NY Rotters

Owl Rescue Society

Royal Society for Protection of Birds

Thirsk Community Library

Women’s Institute

Woodland Trust

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust and more.

Discover how local, legendary cheesemaker, the late Judy Bell, extended the hand of friendship to Syrian refugee Razan Alsous who now has her own multi-award winning cheese and dairy company.

• Learn about the North East Fishing Collective’s continuing fight to discover the real cause of mass sea life deaths in the North Sea.

• Explore bee keeping and climate change with an expert and sample delicious local honey.

• Guided bird watching walks will start from the Town Hall at 10.30 and noon – exploring the importance of our local green spaces.

• Stock up with delicious homemade jams, preserves and local produce.

PLUS Thirsk Repair Cafe – bring broken things to be fixed and tools sharpened in return for a small donation.

Updates from the groups

Energy

Solar panels in action – energy saving thoughts from George Carter

In 2022 the average CO2 emissions from grid electrical generation per kWh were 182 grams whilst gas produces 185 grams per kWh (Government statistics) ***

Like many (I hope) who have solar panels my installation saved 182 x 3,650**= 63.7 tonnes of CO2 in 2022. The heat pump reduced the CO2 emissions when using mains electricity to .182 / 3.89* = .047 grams per kWh of heat – a 74.7 % reduction in CO2 compared to gas heating

The house temperature does not go below 19 degrees C. The gas is disconnected

Sources of information

***grid.iamkate.com and ** givenergy.cloud (recorded independently through the solar installation in the house)

*the heat pump efficiency recorded in the coldest week 2021 compared to a similar week in 2019 (when still using gas)

Considering installing solar panels? Find out more here:

https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk/solar-panel-solar-pv-installers-in-north-yorkshire

Experts say the UK should leave the climate harming Energy Charter Treaty

Experts have urged the UK to leave the controversial energy charter treaty (ECT), a secret court system that enables fossil fuel companies to sue governments for huge sums over policies that could affect future profits. Most European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands have already made the decision to leave the treaty over concerns about its environmental impact.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/10/uk-must-quit-climate-harming-energy-charter-treaty-experts-say

You can act on this by signing this petition to urge the government to leave the Energy Charter Treaty

https://act.350.org/sign/energy-charter-treaty-petition-UK

North Yorkshire Energy Efficiency Fund

Residents here in Hambleton but also Scarborough and Ryedale can apply for funding for energy efficiency measures for their home.

The fund aims to help reduce energy bills, keep homes warmer and cut carbon emissions. If you meet the criteria, you can apply to YES Energy Solutions, who are delivering the scheme on our behalf. They will carry out a survey to identify what funding you could receive from the government scheme to upgrade energy inefficient homes.

If you are a homeowner or private renter you can apply if you meet the eligibility criteria. For privately rented properties, landlords are required to make a contribution to cover one third of the total costs.

See if you are eligible

To qualify for the scheme you must:

be a resident in Scarborough, Hambleton or Ryedale
have a household income of £30,000 or less or receive income related benefits
live in a property with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of E, F or G

Properties rated as D will also be accepted if fewer than 30% of D rated properties sign up to the scheme.

You can find your Energy Performance Certificate or request a new one on the government’s website.

What help you can get if you are eligible

If you qualify for the fund, your property will undergo a survey and YES Energy Solutions will use that to see which improvements would improve your home’s warmth and efficiency the most.

The type of home you live in will determine which improvements can be made and how much funding you could get which could be up to £10,000 or £25,000 for off-gas properties.

Examples of free improvements you could receive include:

external wall insulation
loft insulation
cavity wall insulation
solar panels (PV)
air source heat pump
high heat retention electric storage heaters

How to apply

If you meet the criteria you can apply by using YES Energy Solutions’ online form or by calling them on 03301 355 321.

Food

Great Big Green Week recipe display

The Food Group are planning to a display of recipe books to encourage people to eat more sustainably at CASAV events during the Great Big Green Week.

Local organic veg boxes

Co-op Foodshare

Did you know that every evening surplus food (which would otherwise go to waste) is collected from our local Co-op stores in Stokesley and Great Ayton and distributed to local charities and groups for those most in need? Jenny Earle from the Food Group organises this fantastic work and a rota of volunteers collect and distribute the food. More volunteers are always welcome, even if you can only volunteer occasionally this is very useful for back up cover if one of the regular volunteers is unable to collect the food at short notice. Email us if you can spare an hour every now and then.

Yatton House Community Garden

Nature / Environment

Events for Great Big Green Week

1. Biodiversity Event: Gardening for Wildlife 10th June

The event will be a guided walk around the garden highlighting the importance of the gardening for wildlife and the different elements in the garden. These include – native/non native plants, different levels, how to be insect friendly, providing winter habitats etc. Children are welcome to look under stones and in ponds etc.There will be two sessions over the course of the day. 2pm – 4pm and 7.30pm – 9.30pm and the evening session will include using a bat detector!

There will be a limited number of places (15 max) and must be booked in advance, details to follow. The address of the venue will be provided those that book.

Refreshments will be provided.

2. Nature Under Threat & How to Help Display at the Globe, Stokesley 10-18th June

There will be a display all week 10-18th June at the Globe Community Library on the current threats to nature locally and globally, the reasons for this and what we can do about as individuals.

Additional displays are being considered for the Hub at Hutton Rudby and at the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton.

3. Wild flower walk around Cod Beck Sunday 11th June

Meet at Cod Beck car park at 4pm for a 1-2 hour walk led by botany expert Helen Herring.

Further walks and explorations of nature are planned this summer e.g. a walk around Bank Foot, Ingelby Greenhow led by Anne Press and a bird watching event.

Transport

20s Plenty for North Yorkshire

20’s plenty is the national scheme backed by United Nations, aiming to introduce 20mph as the norm wherever people and vehicles meet.

Even more locally, 20’s Plenty for Stokesley is our nearest group, contactable here:

Stokesley@20splentyforus.org.uk

20’s Plenty North Yorkshire groups aim for North Yorkshire County Council to budget for new 20mph signage all around our county. If you agree with this idea please complete and share the petition.

Sign here : https://us11.list-manage.com/survey?u=7fbc10142193f88b5449266f7&id=b0a4ff73aa&e=5ef9639452

Waste

Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafes

Repair Cafes have been in action twice since the last monthly update, Swainby Village Hall on Saturday 18th March and following that Saturday 1st April at the Globe Stokesley with over 100 items in total repaired / returned to functional use which might have otherwise gone to waste in landfill or incineration, saving the owners the cost of buying replacements as well as reducing the environmental impact of using up resources and the energy in manufacturing.

With spring tempting us back into the garden, our very own Phil ‘Blades’ and his nifty blade sharpening tools was kept very busy with dozens of people bringing their shears and secateurs to get them garden ready.

The Repair Cafes gives us a great opportunity to share the climate action message with people who aren’t aware of CASAV and many have signed up to our mailing list, joined us on Facebook and volunteered for future Repair Cafes. Also we have spread the Repair Cafe word with other local climate action groups such as Middlesbrough who will be launching their first Repair Cafe on Saturday 22nd April at the Hope Foundation on Grange Road 1-3pm.

The next CASAV Repair Cafe will be Saturday 20th May 10-12 at Swainby Village Hall. Remember, bring your household items in need of repair e.g. electrical appliances, mechanical equipment, furniture, clothing, crockery, laptops, smartphones, etc – to the Repair Cafe and extend the life of your items, learn repair skills, prevent landfill waste and help fight climate change!

Further details here on our website.

Upcycling Day Challenge 24th June

The Upcycling Challenge will be launched next month, so look out for updates. If you have any ideas or a group who would like to take part please contact us by email.

Refill – reducing use of single use plastics

If you know any local businesses which would like to join the scheme, please get in touch.

Reusuable Nappy Week 24th-30th April

In the first 2.5 years of a baby’s life, they will have needed at least 4,000 nappy changes. If of the single-use variety, these nappies will be sent to incineration or landfill at a cost to our environment.

Using reusable nappies doesn’t have to mean going full-time to make a difference. Every day you choose to reuse, you will reduce waste and avoid consumption of single-use plastic equivalent to at least 17 plastic bags a day!

The carbon footprint of nappy usage can be reduced by 40% if reusable nappies are used instead of single-use nappies. Reusable nappies also use 98% fewer raw materials.

Locally we are fortunate to have the Hambleton District Cloth Nappy Library from which you can hire reusuable nappy kits consisting of modern washable, cloth nappies, liners and covers from newborn upwards. They also hold monthly drop in sessions usually every second Friday 11-1 at Crazy Kingdom, 2 Standard Way, Northalleton DL6 2KH where you can have a look at the kits, discuss how they work and get general nappy advice. Due to Easter and to coincide with Reusuable Nappy Week they have shifted this month’s session to Friday 28th April. You can find more information via their Facebook Page or email hambletonclothnappies@outlook.com

Signing off

If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on this monthly update please email Kate kategibbon@googlemail.com by the end of April.

Hope to see you at the CASAV whole group monthly meeting and talk by the Yorkshire Rotters on the 18th April (details at the start of the update!)

Kate Gibbon,

on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:

Bridget Holmstrom, Caryn Loftus, Jack Turton, Ron Kirk and Simon Gibbon

CASaV April meeting – Love Food Hate Waste

This month Climate Action Stokesley and Villages group are hosting a talk by Charles Everson from North Yorkshire Rotters, followed by an update from the group. The meeting, on Tuesday 18th April, is as usual in The Globe Community Library in Stokesley but starting earlier at 7:00pm.

Charles will cover the relationship between food production, food loss and food waste and its impact on climate change on a global scale and the food waste challenges in the UK; how the LoveFoodHateWaste Campaign is helping to reduce the volumes of food waste produced in the UK and the simple actions that we can all take to help reduce the food waste that we all produce; and how home composting is the most sustainable method of dealing with kitchen and garden wastes and will offer tips to assist in the production of good quality compost at home.

CASaV March Meeting – NYC Climate Strategy

We spent half of our March meeting discussing the “North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy” with a view to responding both as CASaV and as many as possible of us personally via “Have your say on our climate strategy“, via the paper forms in libraries or directly by email to climatechange@northyorks.gov.uk.

The strategy is a 58 page document, but page 6 summarises the strategy, the introduction on pages 7-9 sets the context and on page 46 has the conclusions. The strategy frames the challenges well and suggests many good ways of thinking about ways of addressing these challenges. Bearing in mind the urgency as just pointed out by the IPCC’s AR6 Synthesis Report, it is disappointing that much of the strategy refers to planning rather than acting and where acting is discussed it is unlike to start before 2024.

The survey asks for your level of confidence that the strategy will achieve its aims, our reading of the strategy is that there is insufficient detail to have confidence that the aims will be achieved.

This post is aimed at helping you to complete the survey, starting with suggestions from our meeting, followed by NYC’s thematic strategy (as shown on page 6), items covered by the NYC strategy and finally some comments on the survey.

It is important that NYC as our elected local government get a strong message from as many members of the North Yorkshire populations as possible that we want North Yorkshire to go further and faster in the reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increase resilience to climate change and recovering nature.

So please consider sending your response to North Yorkshire Council as detailed above. If you feel the strategy is too complex, then please email climatechange@northyorks.gov.uk explaining how important you think addressing climate change is, how you expect NYC to lead in North Yorkshire and some things you are doing personally to get to Net Zero and beyond as soon as possible.

CASaV Suggestions for the North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy

Below you will find our suggestions from the meeting which may inspire you with ideas for other things you would like to see in the strategy.

North Yorkshire Council has identified 3 themes to tackle:

Mitigation – reducing NY’s emissions
Adaptation – preparing NY for climate impacts
Supporting Nature – helping the natural world, on which we depend, to thrive
North Yorkshire Council – becoming a climate responsible council

So rather than work through the strategy in the meeting instead we split into groups to work on mitigation, adaptation and supporting nature, we did not feel qualified to comment on the council’s internal policies.

Meeting Outputs
- Mitigation
  - Retrofitting
    - Retrofitting of public buildings and social housing
    - Support co-operative developments for retrofitting and social care and domestic
  - Alternative energy
    - Better use of solar panels,use undeveloped council land (or cheap land purchased to use for solar panels
    - Solar panels on car parks Wind turbines
  - Transport
    - Cycle routes – make commitment to the provision of safe cycle routes
    - Major commitment to 20’s plenty
    - Free public transport on key routes
    - Bike tracks – like Stokesley and Great Ayton
    - Connected and integrated rail and bus travel
    - 20 mile an hour zones to reduce speed
  - Behaviour change
    - Empower young people’s voices
    - Plant based school dinners
    - Link to cost of living to nudge behaviour
    - Tax breaks for carbon neutral businesses that are eco
- Adaptation
  - Built environment
    - Shade provision in car parks with solar panels on the roof to generate electricity Solar panels in car parks Houses built for high and low temperatures
    - Planning
      - More diversity for supermarkets
    - - Local shopping
      + – All new buildings to be appropriately designed to be future proof
      - PV Panels
    - - Solar thermal
      Reduce emissions by appropriate lighting
      - Motion sensored lights instead of constant floodlightsAlso switching traffic and streets lights off when not needed
      Reduce emissions by reducing the need for transport by making town, villages and all communities more self-sufficient – with regard to shopping, medical centres, schools, etc..
- Nature
  - Treeplanting
  - Hedgerow planting and management
  - Restoration and improved management of peat moorland
  - More shade trees
  - Growing suitable crops
- Water
  - Increase water storage (i.e. water butts etc.)
  - Better use of open spaces for absorbing rain water through wild flowers etc..
- Nature
  - Sustainable agriculture
  - Less waste
    - Wonky vegtables – but not lip service
  - Regenerative farming
    - How to resource the transition?
  - Hedges cut within an inch of their life
  - Payment for margins?
    - Move from money spent on weedkillers
  - How do we feed the nation?
  - Food security?
    - Easier for vegans
    - Factory produced food from microbial base
    - Move away from animal based to plant based/frementation processes
  - Major issue on how to encourage a radical change in farming practices in a short space of time
  - Make space for nature – rewilding?
  - Trees

NYC Strategy by Theme

Mitigation – reducing North Yorkshire’s emissions

A low energy and low carbon built environment powered by local renewable energy.
Easy, accessible, and affordable low carbon transport to enable active travel, public transport, and electric vehicles.
A low waste and circular economy with support for communities and businesses to reduce resource use and benefit from green economic growth.
Making the most of our land to store carbon. Encouraging everyone to reduce carbon emissions.

Adaptation – preparing North Yorkshire for climate impacts

Ensuring that North Yorkshire is climate resilient: reducing exposure to, prepare for, cope with and recover better from extreme weather events and global supply chain and health impacts that will become more intense and frequent.
We will draw up climate adaptation plans to support infrastructure, services and residents to prepare and adapt.
Adaptation for and by nature, enabling nature to adapt to changing habitats and using nature based solutions to cool our towns and reduce flash flooding.

Supporting Nature – helping the natural world, on which we depend, to thrive

Developing strong forward plans and community partnerships for nature.
Protect, enhance and link important nature sites and corridors and realise opportunities to grow sustainable economic prosperity.
Prioritise nature based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

North Yorkshire Council – becoming a Climate Responsible Council

The Council aims to be carbon neutral by 2030 and will measure and report its progress annually.
A detailed decarbonisation programme will cover our buildings, fleet, and the goods and services we buy and how we use our assets to support nature.
Climate Responsible actions will be built into the Council’s governance and culture, training, impact assessments, officer groups, and regular progress reporting.

Notes on NYC Strategy

Preamble

Must support nature recovery
Funding – additional external funding
Shift from business as usual – no extra funding needed
Not just council everyone

Introduction

Super sparse
Poor housing thermal performance
Limited electrical grid

North Yorkshire Targets

+ – Emissions
- 33% agriculture
- 28% transport
- 20% domestic
- 12% industry
+ – Targets
- + – Transport
  - Sales of zero emissions cars reach ca. 20,000/yr by 2038 Increase active travel for short journeys, ensuring walking and cycling accounts for 17% of distance travelled by 2038 Increase public transport share of travel by bus to 8% of all journeys and by train to 16% by 2030
- + – Land Use
  - Plant 37,000 hectares of new woodland by 2038 Increase amount of hedgerows in the region by 20% by 2038, alongside improvements in hedgerow width and health 100% of upland and lowland peatlands under restoration by 2038
- + – Buildings and Industry
  - Retrofit of 250,000 homes to reach EPC C or better (reduced thermal energy demand)
  - 270,000 heat pumps installed by 2038
  - Hydrogen equipment developed and deployed for industry
- + – Power
  - Upgrade the electricity infrastructure to enable over double the existing demand by 2038 Install an additional 2,500 MW megawatt (MW) of capacity from solar, onshore wind and hydropower by 2038 Install Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to large biomass and fossil plants, capturing 8 MtCO2/yr by 2030 and CCS retrofits onto Energy from Waste (EfW)

Principles

Equality of opportunity
Work and collaborate with partners
Using the evidence
Financially aware

Co-benefits

Public health
Improvements in air quality
Economic development
Resilience and vulnerability
Rural commission and rural task force outcomes

Mitigation

Reduce GHG
Decrease production of GHG by reduced energy demand and modernised agriculture
Generate low carbon energy
Capture GHG and store in organic sinks and via industrial CCS
+ – Priorities
- Retrofit buildings
- Phase out fossil fuel use
- Future proof new buildings
- Ensure hydrogen readiness
+ – Low carbon transport
- Local transport plan by Summer 2024
+ – Waste and circular economy
- Reduce
- Accelerate CCUS
- Circular business
- Behaviour change in waste
+ – Energy generation
- Landfills
- Support community energy projects
+ – Agricultural emissions
- Measure
- Increase efficiency
- Local food
+ – Capture
- Through farming
- Trees
- CCUS
+ – Everyone reduce GHG
- Change awareness
- Actions for individual, organisations and businesses

Adaptation and Resilience

Prepare for change
Plan / retrofit
Nature at heart of adaptation

Nature

Support nature to thrive
Increase storage of carbon in our landscape
Enhance marine and coastal ecosystems to improve carbon sequestration
NY&Y local nature recovery strategy
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
Local plan 2028
+ – Economic growth
- Natural capital investment plan
- Skills gaps
- Sustainable tourism
Trees
Marine environment

Council

Procurement
In business as usual
Collaboration

Conclusions

NYC NZ 2030
NY NZ 2034
NY -C 2040
Defines our generation

Survey

Some thoughts on how to complete the survey via “Have your say on our climate strategy“, via the paper forms in libraries or don’t forget you can respond just by sending an email to climatechange@northyorks.gov.uk.

Preamble

The first questions are fairly direct, please complete these as you see fit, don’t hold back on emotion, the survey is about your personal views and feelings. So it is important that NYC learn how the residents truly feel, as this is what will give the council the license to act faster and further than if we don’t support climate positive actions.

How aware are you of climate change?
How worried are you about climate change?
+ – What actions have you taken to tackle climate change?
- Home energy improvements
- More use of public transport
- Electric vehicle
- Reduced energy consumption
- Recycling
- Reducing waste
- Changed diet
- Installing renewable energy
- Community activity
- More waling or cycling
- No action

Questions

The document does not give sufficient detail to have confidence that it will address the 4 themes. For example it many of the suggested actions from the CASaV meeting are not mentioned. So when you complete the “why you feel this” section you can highlight the ones you believe are necessary to explain why you are not confident with the strategy.

+ – How we plan to slow it down – mitigation
- How confident do you feel that this approach will help slow down a changing climate in North Yorkshire?
+ – How we are preparing for climate change – adaptation
- How confident do you feel that this approach will prepare for a changing climate in North Yorkshire?
+ – Helping nature to help us
- How confident do you feel that this approach will help nature to help us in North Yorkshire?

Prioritise

All of these items are very important and so prioritising without specific background is not useful, so skip this. For example you need to know relative costs of each action per tonne of carbon dioxide emission reduction and/or the land area needed for each tonne reduction. The list is also obviously very incomplete, for example there are many other ways to reduce waste, such as repair, design for longer life, removal of single use items, etc..

Capturing and storing carbon
Encouraging everyone to reduce carbon emissions
Energy efficient built structures
Farming emissions
Renewable energy growth
Travel and transport
Reduce waste by reuse and recycling

The final two questions are opportunities direct how the council works to achieve the strategy.

Openness is probably the key item to mention for the working with question.

How do you we can best work with our partners and the community to tackle Climate Change?

Please include whatever ideas you have that you haven’t included in the earlier confidence questions here.

What other suggestions do you have to help us manage a changing climate?

Climate Column – March 2023

Repair Cafés and why every community needs one

Published in the Darlington and Stockton Times Friday 17th March 2023.

Nowadays we buy, use, throw away and replace things that break or develop any problem, when often with a simple repair they could continue being used. Our buy, use, throw away culture carries ever increasing costs – the cost of the new item, the environmental impact of extracting, processing, and exhausting our natural resources, plus the climate impact of incinerating or burying the waste.

We’ve forgotten the make do and mend ethos of times gone by, knowing how to make repairs is a skill quickly lost. This is why every community needs a Repair Café! Repair Cafés are an international idea, summed up in their tag line – “Bin it, No way!”. You bring your broken item and spend time with people with repair skills – the item gets repaired for free (or advice is given if its beyond repair) and practical skills are passed on.

It’s worth noting that Repair Cafés differ from the TV ‘Repair Shop’ as the focus is not on restoring precious antiques but to extend the life of everyday household items.

In March 2022 Climate Action Stokesley and Villages volunteers started the now monthly Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafés. The Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafés have repaired nearly 400 broken items including vacuum cleaners, computers, kettles, furniture, decorative lamps, clothing, bicycles, toasters, crockery, dog blankets – even a singing reindeer! Our Cafés have reduced CO₂ emissions (manufacturing new products and recycling or disposing of old ones causes CO₂ to be released) and saved people the cost of new purchases – many thousands of pounds.

Locally, Repair Cafés are also running at Hovingham, in the Upper Esk Valley and at Thirsk with plans to start new ones in Northallerton, Guisborough and Middlesbrough.

Interested? The next Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafés will be at Swainby Village Hall on Saturday 18th March and at Stokesley Globe Community Library on Saturday 1st April, 10-12. You can find details of other local Repair Cafés via their Facebook pages or through the national Repair Cafe website

Repair Cafés are always keen to welcome new volunteers with repair skills, use the website above or for Stokesley and Villages Repair Café visit our Repair Cafe webpage.

Repair Cafés just want to show how much fun repairing things can be, and how easy it often is. There’s a free cuppa too! Of course we also accept voluntary donations to cover the costs. Why don’t you give it a go, either to get your stuff repaired or to volunteer as a helper or a repairer?

If you haven’t already completed the consultation on the new draft Climate Change Strategy for North Yorkshire Council then you still have time. The draft strategy document and a link to the Let’s Talk Climate survey can be found online. Reference copies are also available in local libraries. The consultation closes on 7 April 2023.

CASaV Update – March 2023

Hope you enjoy reading our latest update, including details of our next meeting on Tuesday 21st March.

Welcome to March’s Update and all things spring

This month we bring you local and national climate action news, events and activities including how to access and give feedback on North Yorkshire Council’s Climate Change Strategy, the successes of the Food Group’s free seed stall and the Waste Group’s Repair Cafes, how to support the local 20’s plenty campaign, how to apply for energy efficiency funds and where you can obtain a swift box to help protect this highly endangered bird.

What’s Going On – general news and events

Monthly meeting

This month’s whole group CASAV meeting will be on Tuesday 21st March at The Globe Community Library, North Road, Stokesley from 7:30 – 9:00pm. Everyone is welcome to hear about group developments and coming events as well as to discuss current topics and how you can be involved. Our focus this month will be on responding to the North Yorkshire County Council climate change strategy consultation – see below for details.

North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy

The North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy Draft was published on Monday 13 February and is available to view online here:

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/sites/default/files/fileroot/About the council/Consultations/North Yorkshire Council climate change strategy 2023-2030/87680_Climate Change Strategy for web – accessible.pdf

The Strategy outlines the activities which the new North Yorkshire Council can take to tackle the causes and impacts of climate change through four areas:

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow down climate change.
Preparing Council services and North Yorkshire residents for the changing climate.
Supporting nature, on which the county depends to thrive.
North Yorkshire Council – to be operationally carbon neutral by 2030.

It also highlights how North Yorkshire Council will work with partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors to support the regional ambition to become a carbon negative region by 2040 – following the York and North Yorkshire Routemap to Carbon Negative.

Reference copies of the strategy draft are also available in local libraries. Residents, communities, voluntary groups, businesses and partners, are asked to give their views.

Informed by discussions at our next meeting we will be making a collective response but everyone is encouraged to give their views as individuals also here:

https://letstalkny.commonplace.is/en-GB/proposals/climate/step1

Everybody’s views are important, be aware that the consultation closes on 7 April 2023.

Darlington & Stockton Times Monthly Climate Column

Starting in March 2022, CASaV has now been successfully producing a column for the D&S on a pertinent climate topic every month, raising awareness and hopefully encouraging people to take action. Topics range from warm homes and reducing waste to individual actions to mitigate against climate change. If you have an idea that you think would make a good article please let us know!

If you missed last month’s column you can catch up here:

https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/opinion/comment/23324061.help-prioritise-action-climate-change-across-north-yorkshire/

All of the past year’s columns are being collated and will be accessible via the CASAV website soon.

Great Big Green Week – 10-18th June – save the date!

The Great Big Green Week is a yearly event across the country to celebrate community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. More information here: https://greatbiggreenweek.com/

We are starting to compile a list of events for Great Big Green Week which will include one of our regular Repair Cafes. If you are planning anything in the area please get in touch to add your event to the list.

Great Big Green Week 2023

Updates from the groups

Energy

North Yorkshire Energy Efficiency Fund

Residents here in Hambleton but also Scarborough and Ryedale can apply for funding for energy efficiency measures for their home.

See if you are eligible

To qualify for the scheme you must:

be a resident in Scarborough, Hambleton or Ryedale
have a household income of £30,000 or less or receive income related benefits
live in a property with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of E, F or G

Properties rated as D will also be accepted if fewer than 30% of D rated properties sign up to the scheme.

You can find your Energy Performance Certificate or request a new one on the government’s website.

What help you can get if you are eligible

If you qualify for the fund, your property will undergo a survey and YES Energy Solutions will use that to see which improvements would improve your home’s warmth and efficiency the most.

The type of home you live in will determine which improvements can be made and how much funding you could get which could be up to £10,000 or £25,000 for off-gas properties.

Examples of free improvements you could receive include:

external wall insulation
loft insulation
cavity wall insulation
solar panels (PV)
air source heat pump
high heat retention electric storage heaters

How to apply

If you meet the criteria you can apply by using YES Energy Solutions’ online form or by calling them on 03301 355 321.

Onshore windfarms

The government appears to be back pedalling on its promise to lift the ban on onshore windfarms in England. For energy security and to combat climate change more onshore wind farms are needed and have the approval of the majority of the public.

You can call on the government to unblock wind power onshore using the link below:
https://action.wearepossible.org/page/121316/action/1

More information here:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/28/fears-grow-government-will-renege-on-lifting-onshore-windfarm-ban-in-england

Food

Free seed giveaway

Members of the Food group held a popular free seed giveaway staff at this month’s Farmer’s Market in Stokesley on Saturday March 4th, encouraging people to grow their own vegetables and flowers, giving away free seeds and advice.

If you missed this you can still pick up (or donate!) free seeds at the Globe Community Library seed share box and also the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton has a seed box.

Yatton House Community Garden

Nature / Environment

Nature events

The Nature group is planning various events over the course of the year, including the popular wildflower walks and bug hunt. Subject to finding an expert we also want to run bat walks and a fungus foray. We are also planning a Biodiversity Event in the spring that will take place during the Great Big Green week. A key event will be an open garden highlighting gardening for biodiversity. This will take place on Saturday 10^th June. Location details will be released later. As a celebration of the Great Big Green week we are also holding wildflower walks at Ingleby Bank Foot and Cod Beck reservoir.

Swift Action

The beautiful and high flying swift is seriously endangered and for two years now has been on the Red list in the 2021 UK Conservation Status Report – the highest conservation priority, with species on this list needing urgent action

More information here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/01/britain-endangered-birds-red-list-rises-to-70-species.

On Monday 27th February we had an interesting evening at the launch of the Swift Action project, being led by the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton with support from BUGs (Brighten Up Great Ayton) and Climate Action Stokesley and Villages. Graham Jeffreys from the company Habibat, who design and manufacture a range of bird and bat boxes and are based in the village, donated 10 swift boxes for the village to help the existing swift colony which have been eagerly taken up but we have been offered more at £10 per box. If you would like one please place an order in the Discovery Centre by 31st March. We might be able to fund additional orders depending on the numbers requested.

If you are interested in the Swift Action project please get in touch with Caryn [mailto:carynloftus@gmail.com].

Forever chemicals found in local effluent treatment works

High levels of the pollutants per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as ‘forever chemicals’ as they don’t break down in the environment, build up in the body and may be toxic, have been found at thousands of sites across the UK and Europe, a major mapping project has revealed, including at Stokesley and Great Ayton effluent treatment works.

More information here:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/23/revealed-scale-of-forever-chemical-pollution-across-uk-and-europe

The Marine Conservation Society has more information on the impact of these chemicals on the environment and how you can take action to stop more of these chemicals being produced and released.

https://www.mcsuk.org/ocean-emergency/ocean-pollution/chemicals/pfas-forever-chemicals/

As if there weren’t enough worries, another concern for the environment is the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill which plans to sweep away all EU related law and statutory instruments. Many organisations including the RSPB and Wildlife Trusts have expressed deep concerns about the consequences on the natural environment because many of the protections we have in the UK have come about because of the UK’s membership of the EU. You can read more about this bill below.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/rspb-news/rspb-news-stories/the-powerful-laws-protecting-our-most-important-places-for-wildlife/

Transport

20s Plenty for North Yorkshire

20’s plenty is the national scheme backed by United Nations, aiming to introduce 20mph as the norm wherever people and vehicles meet.

Even more locally, 20’s Plenty for Stokesley is our nearest group, contactable here:

Stokesley@20splentyforus.org.uk

20’s Plenty North Yorkshire groups aim for North Yorkshire County Council to budget for new 20mph signage all around our county. If you agree with this idea please complete and share the petition.

Sign here : https://us11.list-manage.com/survey?u=7fbc10142193f88b5449266f7&id=b0a4ff73aa&e=5ef9639452

Waste

Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafes

The latest Repair Cafe took place at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley on Saturday February 11th. Over 60 household items were repaired and / or returned to full working order by our pink T-shirted volunteers (surplus event promo items were cunningly rescued from going to waste by Jenny and repurposed as our rather fetching ‘Repairer’ uniforms). Who needs Jay Blades (TV’s Repair Shop) when we have our very own Phil ‘Blades’ and his nifty blade sharpening tools?

The monthly Repair Cafes continue with the next being held in Swainby Village Hall on Saturday 18th March 10-12 and following that Saturday 1st April at the Globe Stokesley 10-12. We have now been running these for a whole year in which time over 400 household items have been repaired which might have otherwise gone to waste in landfill or incineration, saving the owners thousands of pounds in the cost of buying replacements as well as reducing the environmental impact of using up resources and the energy in manufacturing. Also we get the opportunity to share the climate action message with all of the 100s of people who have attended, many not directly involved with CASAV.

Further details here on our website.

Learn repair skills, extend the life of your favourite clothes and reduce waste

Ripping Yarns in Stokesley is running a number of mending workshops led by one of our Repair Cafe repairers Jane, the next is 5th April. More information here

Mending Workshop with Jane Mercer

Refill – reducing use of single use plastics

If you know any local businesses which would like to join the scheme, please get in touch.

Signing off

If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on this monthly update please email Kate kategibbon@googlemail.com by the end of March.

Hope to see you at the CASAV whole group monthly meeting on the 21st March (details at the start of the update!)

Kate Gibbon,

on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:

Bridget Holmstrom, Caryn Loftus, Jack Turton, Ron Kirk and Simon Gibbon